Stacked with a roster chock full of NLL stars, the Iroquois National defeated a visiting USA developmental team 24-11 to keep the Bowhunter Cup at Six Nations again this year for the third straight time. The USA won the inaugural Bowhunter Cup.
The 4th Bowhunter Cup presented the first an opportunity to see the Iroquois Nationals in action as they prepare for the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in 2015.
Although this was the first time the I-nats have played together as a team, all the players know each other very well and have played together in various combinations for most of their lives at Six Nations of the Grand River from peewee to pro.
They were up against a team representing the USA, but are not the American World Team, but rather a Developmental team made up of box and field lacrosse players.
Toronto Rock attacker Roger Vyse led the I-nats offence with a10 point game scoring four times and assisting on six more. The usual suspects, Cody Jamieson, Craig Point and Johnny Powless, all members of the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL, combined for 15 points between them by the final buzzer.
“We are very glad the USA came up,” said Gewas Schindler, General Manager for the 2015 Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Club.
The I-Nats scored on the first shot of the game after Jeremy Thompson won the draw and got the ball to Marty Hill. But moments later Nationals goaltender Angus Goodleaf mishandled the ball in his crease an allowed the USA to get on the scoreboard at 1-1.
The Americans took the lead again before Tom Montour tied the game again at 2-2. Johnny Powless made it 3-2 for the I-nats before Holden Vyse, Randy Staats, and Rodd Squire made it a 6-2 game.
The Americans scored the last goal of the first quarter. The Nationals kept pouring it on in the second quarter and at half time, they led the USA, 15-5.
The in the third quarter, the USA ran a string of six unanswered goals to make the score respectable, but in the fourth the Iroquois got their mo-jo back and piled up a 24-11 lead by the final buzzer.
“I saw a lot of sloppy play and a lot of individual talent, said co-coach and assistant GM Dwayne Jacobs after the game. “This is the first time these guys have gotten together so they’re kind of auditioning here tonight.”
The I-nats will get a much tougher test next month when they face last years World Champions, Team Canada, in Montreal.
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